The Reconstruction of Keitaro Urashima
by Andrew Joshua Talon
Summary: DISCONTINUED: Crossover Maniac transferred the story to my account, and so we both take credit for the story before you. Keitaro Urashima looks around one day, and discovers that he's been living a lie... Chapter 3: Confrontations and Truth
1. Epiphany

The Reconstruction of Keitaro Urishima   
by the CrossoverManiac.  
  
"Love Hina" and its characters are the property rights  
of Ken Akamatsu. I want to think Genma:The Destroyer   
for his help in this fic.  
  
Chapter 1: Epiphany  
  
"I am just a worthless liar.  
I am just an imbecile.  
I will only complicate you.  
Trust in me and fall as well.  
I will find a center in you.  
I will chew it up and leave,  
I will work to elevate you  
just enough to bring you down."  
"Sober" by Tool  
  
June 28, 2002  
  
"Praise be heaven! It's done!" Keitaro breathed a  
sigh of relief from what has been a grueling three  
weeks of work and studies. He just took his fifth  
test to get into the prestigious Tokyo University a  
week ago. The extra study time and exam caused his a  
backlog of chores around the Hinata Girls' Dormitory,  
leaving him with a 16-20 hour workday. It wouldn't  
have been so bad had it not been for a sudden  
onslaught of inspiration that came upon Suu and the  
following explosion that were the fruits of that same  
inspiration. His weeks were a blur of stopped-up  
toilets, scraps of wood and brick that was once a part  
of the Hinata, soap suds from scrubbing the women's  
bathhouse, and an occasional one-sided fisticuffs from  
Naru and Motoko when Keitaro didn't do the work fast  
enough. But now, everything is back in order. There  
was nothing left to do now except wait for the results  
of the test. He was certain he would get into Tokyo  
University.   
  
It was so peaceful, so quite, as if the Hinata was  
deserted...  
  
"I wonder where everyone ran off to," thought Keitaro. "Naru,  
Shinobu, Motoko, anyone." At first, there was no  
reply except for the hum of the central cooling  
system.  
  
"Yes, Keitaro, you'd need anything?" It was Haruka  
calling across the hall, from her room. Keitaro  
strolled inside. Haruka was lounging on her couch  
smoking.  
  
"So, where did the rest of the girls go?"  
  
"Motoko, Kisume, Shinobu, and Naru are gone out  
shopping."  
  
"What!" Keitaro shouted. "Naru and Shinobu both told  
me they were having financial problems and couldn't  
make rent."  
  
Haruka let out whiff of smoke from her mouth as she  
sighed. "Don't tell me you let them con you out of  
rent."  
  
Keitaro held his head down in shame. "The second  
month in a row."  
  
"If you keep this up, you'll be in the poor house,"  
Haruka shook her head. "You'll never amount to  
anything being this spineless."  
  
"Great, now even my aunt starting to think more like  
Naru," thought Keitaro. "I swear, the longer I stay  
with people, the more they think I'm a pile of crap.   
But she may be right about Naru," Keitaro thought.   
Keitaro shook that thought out of his head. "But Naru  
might be her: the only person in the world that loved  
me for me. The one that made the promise to me that  
would be together forever if we go to Tokyo University  
together." Keitaro couldn't risk being heavy-handed  
with Naru. It was the main reason why he was tolerant  
of her abuse. "No, it's not abuse." Keitaro rebuked  
himself for thinking like that. "She must care for  
me, somewhere deep inside. Even if there was a one in  
a million chance Naru's the one, I have to take it or  
risk losing her." His inner voice said otherwise.  
  
"That's a load of crap! She hates you, she thinks  
you're the dog crap she stepped on while walking on  
the sidewalk, and she abuses you because she can get  
away with it and she know it. Oh, did I mention she  
hates you."  
  
"But what if she's..."  
  
"So, what. 'Oh, look. I got a kiss 17 years ago; a  
smile here; a pat on the back there. That makes up  
for the 759 times she hit me, the 2120 times she  
called me degrading names like 'baka' and 'hentai',  
and the 43 times she deliberately embarrassed me in  
front of the tenants.'"  
  
"She didn't him me that often."  
  
"I'm not exaggerating, Keitaro. I counted. It is  
759. And I got a count on the rest of the other  
things, too."  
  
"I won't risk losing her. If there's nothing but a  
one in a million chance Naru's the one, I'll take it."  
  
"You're heading for a fall, Keitaro."  
  
Keitaro wanted to get his mind off of this. He didn't  
have a long enough lifespan to dwell on all of his  
shortcomings. "So, what's you're doing, Haruka?"  
  
"I'm watching this old show, called 'I'll lean on  
you'".   
  
Keitaro's mind became clouded by the melancholy of  
nostalgia. "That show. I've heard of it before,  
but..."  
  
"It was your favorite show when you were a kid."   
Haruka chuckled. "You used to pitch such a fit if  
anyone dared turned the TV when it came on. You cried  
for a week when they canceled the show."  
  
Keitaro laughed himself. "Couldn't be that good if I  
forgot about it."  
  
"Got time out of your busy schedule to watch it with  
me, landlord."  
  
"I just took my entrance exam to Tokyo U, and the  
Hinaka's all cleaned up. Why not?" Keitaro ran to  
the dining table to get a chair and sit down to an  
evening of goofing around the TV set.  
  
  
  
Seven hours later....  
  
  
  
And we'll continue with our 18-hour "The best of 'I'll  
Lean on You'" in a moment.  
  
"How did I ever forget this show?" Keitaro asked  
himself. Keitaro felt lighter-than-air, all of his  
fears and frustrations melted away with each episode.   
But he couldn't put his finger on why he liked it.   
The plot was contrived and always nonsensical. How  
many times do modern-day pirates kidnap children  
anyway? And the story resolution was ridiculous.   
This show reeked of camp. But it was  
mesmerizing, and despite it's utter lack of substance,  
enjoyable.  
  
"Keitaro, you're not six anymore," complained Haruka.   
"Can we turn the damn thing already? Seven hours is  
enough TV time for anyone"  
  
"Please," pleaded Keitaro, "just a few more episodes."  
  
"Aw!"  
  
"You'll be my favorite aunt."  
  
"NO!"  
  
"I'll go to my room and finish watching it."  
  
Keitaro takes his chair and matches to his room. On  
the way, he runs into Naru and Shinobu. "Just where  
you do think you're going, baka," Shinobu snapped.  
  
"Listen, can it wait, I'm in the middle of something  
important here." Keitaro sidestepped Naru in his rush  
to get to his room, but Shinobu steps in his way.  
  
"The light in my room is shot," said Naru, "we need  
you to go to the store and get some more bulbs. It's  
almost getting dark."  
  
"I promise you, I'll run and get some as soon I take  
care of some things. You can use the bulb out of my  
room until I get you some," Keitaro replied.  
  
"What's so important you can't make run to the store  
for us," yelled Shinobu.  
  
"It's hard to explain." Especially to a shrew like  
you, Shinobu, Keitaro thought. Two years here, and  
you're getting as bad as the rest of the girls.  
  
"He's watching an 18-hour marathon of some show,"  
Haruka called out from her room."  
  
"What's sort of landlord leaves their tenants in the  
dark to run off to watch TV?" Sneered Naru. A sword  
was un-sheaved from behind Keitaro.  
  
"What's this I hear about leaving your tenants in the  
dark?" Motoko wasn't too thrilled about Keitaro  
derelict in his duties. Then again, Motoko was seldom  
pleased with anything Keitaro does. Motoko pointed  
the sword within inches of Keitaro's face.  
  
Keitaro started whining. "I told Naru she could use  
the lightbulb in my room. Now please let me finish my  
show."  
  
"ALRIGHT ALREADY!" Shinobu screamed. "WE'LL TAKE THE  
BULB OUT OF YOUR ROOM!"  
  
Motoko put back her sword. "There's nothing more  
pathetic than hearing a man whining."  
  
"Yeah," said Naru in agreement, "this is a low, even  
for..." Naru then noticed Keitaro was gone. A second  
later, he came running out of his room with lightbulb  
in hand. Keitaro slapped into Naru's and ran off.  
  
  
  
"This folks," said the TV announcer, "is the #1  
episode of "I'll Lean on You"; requested by more of  
our viewers than all of the other episodes combined.   
I'm pleased to bring you, "The Promise".  
  
"This must be a really good episode if they more votes  
for than all of the others," whispered Keitaro. He  
started fidgeting in his chair in anticipation of the  
big finale of the marathon.  
  
On the screen, a young boy and girl are playing on the  
beach making sand castles. Keitaro paid particular  
attention to the girl, who looked so familiar. She  
almost looked like...  
  
The little girl began patting the loose sand together  
to keep her sand castle from crumpling apart. The  
sides of the structure were pox-marked with tiny  
handprints all over it. The little girl turned to the  
little boy saying...  
  
"Did you know that if two people who love each other  
go to Tokyo University..."  
  
Keitaro's jaw dropped open. He stared in complete  
disbelief...  
  
"...they'll live happily ever after?"  
  
"No!" Keitaro's thoughts screamed inside his mind, "It  
can't be!"  
  
"Really," replied the young boy.  
  
Keitaro dropped to his knees. His breathing was  
heavy; his brow moist with perspiration.  
  
The little girl kisses the little boy on the cheek and  
said,  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Let's go to Tokyo University together."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Keitaro began crying uncontrollably.   
  
"How?"   
  
The girl of his dreams, a character on TV?  
  
"How?"   
  
The only person who gave a rat's ass about him, a  
figment of his imagination?  
  
"How?"  
  
The only thing in his life he had to live for.  
  
"HOW COULD THIS BE HAPPENING TO ME?!?"  
  
Keitaro collapsed on the floor. The room began  
spinning around him. The steel-blue light shining  
into his window from a streetlight outside began  
rotating. It started spinning faster and faster  
until....  
  
  
17 years ago...  
  
"Keitaro, I told you not to come," spat a man, in his  
early thirties dressed in black suit and tie.  
  
"But I...*cough*...*cough* I had to say goodbye to  
grandpopa." Keitaro, age 4, wiped his nose on his  
sleave. Keitaro's father backhanded him, knocking him  
off of his feet.  
  
"I told you not to wipe snot on your good clothes, you  
little $h!t !!!" Keitaro's father looked down upon  
his son, waiting for him to up. Keitaro got to his  
feet, but stumbled, almost falling over. "Now get out  
of those clothes, before you turn that good suit into  
a snot rag."  
  
Keitaro staggered into his room. "Why did grandpoppa  
have to die?" Keitaro cried. Who would be there to  
kiss him where he got hurt, who would be there to play  
racing games with his toy cars? Who else would care  
about him and love him. Daddy? He doesn't seem to  
like Keitaro. He hits him all of the time, and call  
bad dirty names. Mommy? She's always telling Keitaro  
to go to his room when her 'special friends' come over  
and make those groaning and wailing noises in mom and  
dad's bedroom. She does it all of the time and  
doesn't like Keitaro to be around her and her 'special  
friends'. Although, she never hits him as much as  
dad, except when he talks about her 'special friends'.  
Keitaro changes into his bunny pajamas. He walks to  
the kitchen to get a glass of water (maybe dad will  
give Keitaro a glass of water, if he's not still mad  
at him) when he saw it. It was a brand new episode of  
"I'll Lean on You", and it had his two favorite  
characters. They were his favorites because they were  
always together. They stayed together no matter what.  
They always beat the mean hate pirates that tried to  
take love out of the world, and even made them all  
good. They even like holding each other's hand,  
something that none of the other kids in school would  
do for Keitaro. He reclined on the couch watching.  
  
"Did you know that if two people who love each other  
go to Tokyo University..." said the little girl to the  
little boy.  
  
"I wish someone would love me like that." The bump on  
his head where daddy backhanded him began to throb.   
Keitaro felt light-headed and dizzy from both the flu  
and the blow to the head.  
  
"That little boy, if I was only him." His vision  
became blurry. He used up what strength he had left  
to push himself off of the couch to get a closer look  
at the television. Even though he was right next to  
the TV, the images were still blurry.  
  
"He does look sorta like me." Keitaro pupils became  
dilated.  
  
"I'm the little boy on 'I'll Lean on You'" And  
Keitaro collapsed.  
  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
Motoko ran out of her room and into the hallway  
towards the screaming; sword ready to slice any  
evildoer who dared to deserved the peace of Hinata,  
namely Keitaro.  
  
When Motoko finally got there, she saw that Naru and  
Su already beat her to Keitaro's room.  
  
"Keitaro, what in the world is going on in there?!?"   
Naru pounded on the door.  
  
"Will you beat, hentai wussy boy?" Suu asked  
enthusiastically. For her, Naru and Keitaro were  
real-life 'Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote'.  
  
"What's all of the commotion?" Shinobu asked as she  
hastily threw her robe on.  
  
"The coward must have had a bad dream," spat Motoko.  
  
"Keitaro, are you okay? Answer me!" yelled Haruka.  
  
"Unlike Keitaro," sneered Naru, "I have classes at  
Tokyo U to attend. I can't sit up all night while  
he's screaming. Naru barged into the room. "Now look  
here, baka..."  
  
Naru stopped in mid-sentence when he was a figure in  
the darkness. *It* was crouched over, chest rising  
and falling with its rasping breath. Naru stepped  
back, intimidated by the figure. It slowly turned its  
head towards her; eyes glowing, reflecting the ambient  
light shining from the hallway. Kitsume barged in  
with a flashlight shining it into the room. The light  
went back and forth across the room and settling in on  
the figure. It was Keitaro, but somehow different.   
He looked twisted, his fingers curled up. But that  
wasn't what made Naru back off into the hallway or  
Motoko so petrified she dropped her wooden practice  
sword. It was the eyes. For never in the world of  
fiction has eyes held such utter rage and hate since a  
19th-century New England mariner lost his leg to a  
great white whale  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------  
  
And at that moment of realization, with his past  
revealed, Keitaro   
comes to a conclusion.  
  
His life's goal is a sham. A lie. He's suffered  
indignity after indignity for nothing. He's wasted so   
much time, on a *dream*.  
  
  
And Keitaro...is very angry. 


	2. Exodus and Loss

The Reconstruction of Keitaro Urashima  
  
Chapter 2: Exodus and Loss  
  
Written by Crossover Maniac  
Co-Authored by Andrew Joshua Talon  
  
DISCLAIMER: Love Hina was created and is owned by Ken Akamatsu. I am not making any profit off this writing.   
Also, this story is slightly AU in that Naru never failed to get into Tokyo U, and Mutsumi and Keitaro never went on a trip to Kyoto to try and sort their lives out. Until now...  
  
  
*****  
  
"Crawling in my skin   
These wounds / they will not heal   
Fear is how I fall   
Confusing what is real   
  
There s something inside me that pulls beneath the surface   
Consuming / confusing   
This lack of self control I fear is never ending   
Controlling / I can t seem   
To find myself again   
My walls are closing in   
[Without a sense of confidence / I m convinced   
there's just too much pressure to take]   
I ve felt this way before   
So insecure   
  
Discomfort, endlessly has pulled itself upon me   
Distracting / reacting   
Against my will I stand beside my own reflection   
It s haunting how I can t seem   
To find myself again   
My walls are closing in   
[Without a sense of confidence / I m convinced   
there's just too much pressure to take]   
I ve felt this way before   
So insecure..."   
  
- "Crawling" by Linkin Park  
  
  
*******  
  
  
Keitaro Urashima took a deep breath of the brisk morning air. He sighed as he shivered slightly; The twenty-two year old had been sitting at this bus stop since 5:00 AM. He checked his watch; The bus was at least half an hour overdue. Everyone else who had been waiting had decided to walk to work or school, leaving the unhurried young man by himself.  
  
At last, the bus trudged up the hill and settled to a noisy stop in front of Keitaro. He climbed aboard the rickety vehicle, which looked like it had seen better days, and collapsed into one of the cold, hard plastic seats. He closed his eyes and tried to relax, feeling no need to look out the window at the town that haunted him.  
  
Keitaro's mind, as if it hadn't had enough pleasure in torturing the five-year ronin, drifted lazily to the event that had led him to this seat with the hard, unforgiving surface.   
  
The rage, the unspeakable agony of the truth of his past, had ripped through Keitaro's soul like shrapnel from a concussion grenade. He had, in the darkness of his room, begun stuffing clothes into an orange backpack he had left over from high school. Every cry, every growl he made was eerily audible to the tenants meandering around the kahirrin's room. Haruka stared at the door in a sort of shock, her cigarette on the floor, forgotten. The other girls were whispering amongst themselves in heated whispers, gesturing a great deal like base coaches in an ABL game. Haruka took a deep breath, and slowly parted the door to Keitaro's room.  
  
"Get. Out." Came the snarl from within the dark room. Haruka got her wits together and shoved her shock aside. She took a step into the room.  
  
"Beat it, damn it!" Something about Keitaro's tone, the ragged, helpless rage, made Haruka froze. Nevertheless...  
  
"Keitaro, please. Tell me what's wrong," she said quietly. The dark figure of Keitaro recklessly emerging from the cheerless room backed Haruka out into the hallway. He had thrown on a jacket and gloves, his backpack slung over one shoulder. His breathing was labored, reeking of emotional exhaustion. His hands shoved a notecard into her hands.  
  
"Contact info, for any legal problems," he rasped by way of explanation. Unceremoniously, he turned and began striding down the hall, a chain watch he had strapped to his pack jingling with each step.   
  
Naru's shock had predictably given way to anger, and she called out in her condenscending tone she reserved exclusively for the ronin.  
  
"What the Hell's wrong with you, baka?!" An angry bark of laughter caught her off guard, as Keitaro turned back with a tormented grin.  
  
"Two years, where you haven't given a damn about me, and NOW you want to know what's wrong with me," Keitaro gasped out as he began laughing hysterically, leaning against the wall for support as tears ran down his cheeks. Only his nigh-psychotic laughter was heard in the stunned silence of the other Hinata tenants.   
  
And he kept laughing, mirthless and biting, as he staggered down the hallway, and finally got out the door. Shinobu Maehara, initially frozen in shock, ran to the window of one of the empty rooms.  
  
"Sempai! Where are you going?!" Keitaro was just crossing the stone-tiled yard, when he paused, and turned slowly to look at Shinobu. His cold, hate-filled face made the young girl gasp in fright.  
  
"Bitch," he spat, just loud enough for her to hear it. He then turned on his heel and stalked down the steps. Shinobu began to cry out his name, pleadingly, but he took no notice of this. He ignored her, stepping out into the darkness...  
  
  
**************************  
  
"Ugh," Urashima grimaced as he opened his eyes. He wasn't going to get any peace within the world of dreams; He would have to contend with the living realm.   
  
Keitaro looked out. He was nearing the bullet train station that was to be the starting point for his exodus. He pulled the stop cord, and the moment the lumbering bus came to a stop he was off and headed for the ticket booths.  
  
"What's your cheapest one-way ticket?" The clerk in the ticket window looked over her papers for a moment.  
  
"The Kyoto express, it'll be leaving in fifteen minutes," she stated, handing Keitaro a ticket. He paid the woman and headed off, double checking to make sure his wallet and ticket were secure in his jean pockets.  
  
The bullet train was sleek, a long silver serpent that offered hope to the despondent Urashima. Keitaro made his way onboard, got to his seat without incident, and settled back into the velvet cushions. He sighed, his gaze wandering over to the window.   
  
The bustling activity of the rail platform played out like a screensaver, endlessly recycling with people of every creed and situation. Lonesome teenagers, homely senior citizens, oblivious college students, stern parents, indifferent employees, and idiotic tourists passed by like fish in an aquarium. Keitaro patted his pockets, and found a stick of gum in his breast pocket. He popped it into his mouth, relishing the crisp, minty flavor it released over his tongue. He noted that the rest of the car was empty; He realized he was in the very last car, the cheapest seats. He shrugged mentally: More room for him.  
  
"Oh my-!" Keitaro caught the image of a woman tripping in the aisle from the corner of his eye. He lunged out of his seat and stretched his arms.  
  
"OOF!" Both Keitaro and the woman collapsed in a heap, Keitaro noticing that his hands were being pressed into the carpet by her breasts. He instinctively blushed.  
  
"Oh God, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, are you alright?" Keitaro grabbed the woman by her shoulders and hefted her up. He turned her to face him.  
  
She wasn't breathing. Her long, brown hair cascaded around her like a death shroud. Her green and tan dress seemed to darken in Keitaro's horror, becoming burial robes to his stunned mind.  
  
"OH SHIT!!!" Keitaro quickly but carefully laid the woman on her back. He racked his brains for the CPR lessons he got from Aunt Haruka, pinched the woman's nose shut, tilted her head, and bent his head down to her lips.  
  
Keitaro breathed into her mouth, and felt the air go into her lungs from the inflation of her chest. He lifted his head and knit his hands into a fist over her heart.  
  
"One... Two... Three... Four... Five!" He growled, pumping her heart manually. He bent down again-And met the eyes of the woman. Two warm, brown pools stared into his, then shifted down to where his right hand was on her chest. Keitaro quickly pulled his hand away and took a deep breath.  
  
"Um... Sorry. You kind of collapsed, and you weren't breathing, so I... um..." Keitaro sighed. The woman giggled.  
  
"Ara ara, I see. I thankyou for your concern, but it's okay! I'm an anemic, and so I'm prone to minor fainting spells." Keitaro jerked slightly and stared at the woman in amazement.  
  
"You call not breathing minor?!" The woman sighed, and averted her eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry. I've probably caused you enough trouble," the woman lamented in a calm, understanding way. Keitaro stood up and extended his hand, which she accepted, and pulled her up to her feet. She brushed her long dress off, and smiled sadly.  
  
"I'll just head to my seat, okay?" Keitaro, feeling concerned over this woman's carefree attitude over her precarious health, cleared his throat.  
  
"Um, I'd be willing to walk you to your seat," he offered. She smiled at him, full of such warmth and happiness Keitaro felt like staring into her face. It was profoundly uplifting, like a sunrise in a hot spring. The woman looked at her ticket as Keitaro smiled good naturedly.  
  
"So, where's your seat?" The woman looked about her, then smiled as she pointed to the seat paired with Keitaro's.  
  
"Right here!" Keitaro fell over animishly.   
  
"Oh my, sorry" she said, slightly embarrassed. Keitaro stood up, rubbing his head.  
  
"No trouble. I could use someone to talk to, after..." Keitaro sighed heavily, collapsing in his seat. He was just realizing how tired he really was. The rage, the despair... It had torn through him like a missile barrage. The woman sat down next to him, and put her hand reassuringly over his. Keitaro started, and stared at her caring expression.  
  
"Tell me about it," she said, squeezing his hand with hers. Keitaro flushed despite his best efforts.  
  
"Um..." She squeezed again, smiling encouragingly into his tired face.  
  
"Tell me about it," she insisted. Keitaro chuckled slightly, looking up at the ceiling.  
  
"It'd be helpful if I knew your name," Keitaro mused.  
  
"Or visa-versa," she added, smiling happily,"I'm Mutsumi Otohime. And you?"  
  
"Keitaro Urashima."  
  
*******************************  
  
  
"..." Shinobu Maehara stared out the window of the Hinata's kitchen, scrubbing a plate idily. It had long since been wiped of any lingering food particles, but Shinobu didn't really care about that.  
  
["Narusegawa's right; You are a perverted idiot!"]  
  
Shinobu's eyes were unfocused, dull. She continued as a robot malfunctioning might in her chore, and yet...  
  
["Just where you do think you're going, baka?" ]  
  
The haunting memories continued to crowd her mind, no matter where she went the guilt and anguish followed.  
  
["ALRIGHT ALREADY! WE'LL TAKE THE BULB OUT OF YOUR ROOM!"]  
  
"Sempai," she murmured. Shinobu let out a shuddered sob, holding the soapy plate to her bosom. It soaked the front of her dress, but this was ignored as multitudes upon multitudes invaded her thoughts.  
  
'IT'S YOUR FAULT HE'S GONE! YOU'RE A BITCH TO HIM, JUST LIKE ALL THE OTHERS! HE TRUSTED YOU, AND YOU THREW THAT TRUST AWAY! YOU'RE NO BETTER THAN NARUSEGAWA!' Shinobu's head bowed, as tears began to escape from her eyes.  
  
"It is my fault," she gasped, her self hatred overwhelming her. She slid to the ground, sobbing quietly.   
  
"Why didn't I see it? Why?!" She sobbed to herself, breathing sporadically. Keitaro had been nothing but kind to her, since the first day he'd arrived, even, and she'd...  
  
She'd turned into a chibi-Narusegawa. The agony wretched her heart like talons from a hawk as she continued to weep bitterly.  
  
  
*******************************  
  
Motoko missed a falling leaf she'd been targeting for her training today. She raised an eyebrow; That was the ninth one she'd missed today. The kendo girl walked away from the scattered leaves, and assumed a meditative stance on the patio deck.  
  
"Why can I not focus?" She wondered aloud. Naturally, the answer popped into her mind, but she shrugged it off with her usually cold demeanor.  
  
"Feh. That idiotic weakling?" Motoko attempted to console herself. She focused harder on meditation, attempting to drive away any and all emotion from her soul.   
  
Once again, she failed. She growled in frustration.  
  
"HIKEN...ZANKUSEN!!!" The blast of hyper-sonic air lashed out, blasting the tree she'd targeted into shards. She snarled in rage.  
  
"HIKEN ZANKUSEN!!! HIKEN ZANKUSEN!!! HIKEN ZANKUSEN!!! HIKEN ZANKUSEN!!! HIKEN ZANKUSEN!!! HIKEN ZANKUSEN!!! HIKEN ZANKUSEN!!! HIKEN ZANKUSEN!!! HIKEN ZANKUSEN!!!"  
  
A large crater was now present where the furious volley had struck. Motoko took deep breaths, but still did not feel releived.   
  
"HIKEN ZANKUSEN!!! HIKEN ZANKUSEN!!! HIKEN ZANKUSEN!!! HIKEN ZANKUSEN!!! HIKEN ZANKUSEN!!! HIKEN ZANKUSEN!!! HIKEN ZANKUSEN!!! HIKEN ZANKUSEN!!! HIKEN ZANKUSEN!!! HIKEN ZANKUSEN!!!"  
  
And another volley decimated the area to three times it's original size. Motoko leapt at a tree that had survived her onslaught and began slashing it. All technique, all discipline, all thought was lost as she struck the tree again and again and again. She had reduced it to the finest dust imaginable before she finally fell to one knee, exhausted. She panted, too tired to care if she was crying. She pulled her legs up into a fetal position, the silent tears running down her face and splashing across her uniform.  
  
"I see," came a calm, quiet voice above her. Motoko turned her head to see Haruka standing over her, shaking her head while puffing on her cigarette.  
  
"I...I just..." Haruka shook her head coldly, then walked away from Motoko. The kendo girl stared in disbelief before curling into an even tighter ball and started sobbing, audibly now.  
  
  
*******************************  
  
Narusegawa was silently reading an English booklet on the couch, while Kitsune Konno sat nearby with a sake bottle in hand. Naru looked up from her reading, observed her high school friend, and then turned back.  
  
She did a take. Kitsune hadn't touched her bottle. It was still corked, even. And worse, Kitsune was idily staring at her toe without so much as a smirk.  
  
Naru sighed, closing her book.  
  
"Alright, what's wrong?" Kitsune turned an eye toward Naru, then just as quickly went back to her study of the human foot.  
  
"Kitsune, what's with you?" Kitsune snorted.  
  
"Yeah, I suppose it wouldn't bother you," she commented, pulling an old magazine from a pile on the table and flipping through it angrily. Naru blinked, then sighed in disgust.  
  
"What? That baka pervert went on his own! I didn't-" At this, Kitsune's hand came out of nowhere and slapped Naru hard across the face. Narusegawa, in stunned pain, felt the burning red mark on her cheek as Kitsune stood up, glaring at the Tokyo U student.  
  
"That 'baka pervert' worked his ass off for us for two years," Kitsune snarled,"and what did we do to him? We tortured him, Narusegawa, we HURT him." Kitsune dropped her sake bottle in Naru's lap.  
  
"I'm disgusted in myself, and you. He LET me cheat him, he LET you beat him up, and he LET us harass him. And now he's gone. Figure it out yourself, hm?" And with that, Kitsune stalked up the stairs, leaving Narusegawa in a stunned silence.  
  
  
*******************************  
  
Suu stared at the sky, the twinkling stars seeming to dance before the young foreigner's eyes. She took this in, and then proceeded to ignore the majesty of the universe above her. A sigh.  
  
"Oni-chan," she murmured, gazing out across the valley,"where are you?" The sky didn't reply, and the blonde sighed in a tired sort of way.  
  
Suu was starting to wonder if she'd contributed to Keitaro's leaving. It was conceivable, and the thought of it filled Suu with dread. She loved Keitaro very much; He was basically her big brother in this strange land. The thought that she might have truly and profoundly hurt him...  
  
The stars twinkled regardless as the foreigner cried out her fear into the night.  
  
  
*******************************  
  
  
(CoA/N:) Well, my new friend CrossoverManiac accepted my offer to help him continue this series, and thus here it is. I haven't done anything serious for a very long time, and thus I hope to expand my skills as a writer with this project.  
  
Also, as I am a big fan of Keitaro, this story appealed to me because of the seldom-seen dark and tormented side of our hero. Here, he will have to find out who he truly is, and while I intend (and, I hope, CrossoverManiac intends) to have Mutsumi Otohime and others help him part of the way, ultimately he must find his own way in the Universe. I intend to serve as a "set-up" guy, throwing the elements of this story into the proverbial nuclear accelerator and giving CrossoverManiac the logistics he needs to determine the results of those mixes.   
  
I must stress that this will NOT be a Keitaro/Narusegawa fic. Narusegawa seems to only have Keitaro around as something to kick around and boost her ego. You don't abuse the people you love, and Naru doesn't seem to love Keitaro with all the emotional, spiritual, and physical abuse she dishes out to our humble hero. However, I conceed that it is up to CrossoverManiac to determine if any romance will occur in this story. I'm a bit of a hopeless romantic though, so I'll just drop a few subtle hints, unless CM gives the go-ahead for some full-blown romance.  
  
While I'm all gung-ho for Keitaro and Mutsumi getting together, if CM allows it and enough people want it, I'd be happy to push Keitaro or any other characters in a different direction for romance. Motoko is a prime subject, because she's not mean to Keitaro for her ego; She's mean to him out of the fear of what she might feel for him (ie love), something Keitaro can help her with. Motoko is willing to learn, whereas Naru is not. Shinobu also comes readily to mind, though instead of Kei trying to earn back her trust (Manga 1) she'll have to earn HIS trust.  
  
I haven't put in Kanako Urashima, Keitaro's "Dark Angel" of a badass little adopted sister, simply because I didn't see a suitable entrance for her. That may change, but as I said, CM's the boss.  
  
Finally, be assured that this is my longest note, and I will never write one so large as this again, now that everything I need to say is out.  
Thus, please R&R, and continue reading. 


	3. Confrontations and Truth

The Reconstruction of Keitaro Urashima  
  
By Andrew Joshua Talon and the Crossover Maniac  
  
Love Hina is owned by Ken Akamatsu. Characters making  
their cameo guest appearances are owned by Gainex and  
the Fox Broadcasting Company. Anything else is  
something that the Crossover Maniac made up and is  
keeping for himself (sorry Andrew). All lawsuits are  
futile since we are broke and have no money to offer  
the owners of this work, and they'll just lose money  
trying to sue us.  
  
*****************  
  
"And you  
Bring me to my knees  
Again  
All the times  
That I could beg you please  
In vain  
All the times  
That I felt insecure  
For you  
But I leave  
My burdens at the door  
  
But I'm on the outside  
And I'm looking in  
I can see through you  
See your true colors  
'Cause inside your ugly  
Your ugly like me  
I can see through you  
See to the real you"  
  
-"Outside" by Stain'd  
  
  
*****************  
  
"…and that's how I found my way here in Kyoto."   
Keitaro breathed a sign of relief from the  
heart-to-heart he had with Mutsumi. It felt good  
getting all that ugliness off his chest; to spill his  
proverbial guts on the floor. Of course, he didn't  
tell Mitsumi that his 'promise' was from a false  
memory derived from some cheesy TV show. "You see why  
now I left that hellhole."  
  
"Keitaro," said Mitsumi gently, "I think you're  
jumping to conclusions."  
  
"WHAT!" Keitaro shouted in surprise.  
  
"Well, I know it seems like they don't care about you,  
but deep down inside, I believe they really do care  
about you."  
  
"You're still out of it from your last fainting  
spell."  
  
"Keitaro," Mutsumi said sternly, "I'm serious. You're  
making a big mistake running out on your friends."   
  
"My friends?!? You seriously think those people are  
*my* friends?"  
  
"Keitaro, please calm down, you're not being  
reasonable."  
  
But as Mutsumi was speaking, Keitaro was going to the  
next passenger car. The turtle girl sighed before  
turning to stare out the window.  
  
  
Kyoto, Japan  
  
  
"Okay, Urashima, you are to work with Gendou Ikari."   
The elder man dressed in a janitor's uniform pointed  
out to a middle-aged man with a beard with no mustache  
and glasses as the old man was leaning against a small  
truck with mops, brooms, and other cleaning supplies.   
He, like the old man, wore a janitor's uniform except  
he had on a pair of white gloves.   
  
"He'll show you all of the offices on your duty  
roster. Remember, you have to get everything done by  
10:00 am or else I will dock your pay. If you're late  
with your duties three times without a damn good  
reason, well, I have to let you go. It's the nature  
of the janitorial business."  
  
Keitaro saluted his boss. "Understood, Mr.  
Takishima."  
  
"Cut out the saluting, kid. We ain't in the  
military."  
  
"Sorry Mr. Takishima."  
  
Ikari was about to get inside the truck when Keitaro  
asked him, "So, Mr. Ikari, where do we start?"  
  
Gendou just stared at Keitaro for a minute and then  
pushed up his glasses. "Why, where else, but the  
beginning of all mankind: Adam."  
  
Keitaro wasn't sure, but it seemed to him that Gendou  
was a little eccentric.  
  
  
  
"…so that's why the human race must be fused into one  
big gooey mass of protoplasm in order to reach the  
next stage of human evolution." Gendou turned his  
head toward Keitaro. "So, you want to join my secret  
organization, NERV?"  
  
  
Keitaro looked disgruntled, weary of Gendou's  
attention. "Uh…sounds perfect to me."  
  
"Good, we can make plans on constructing our giant  
organic robots to fight off the invading armies of  
organic robot angels." Gendou parked the truck at the  
janitorial office. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow."   
Gendou got out of the truck and jumped into a beat-up  
old car that pulled alongside. A young boy wearing  
shades and a cap was behind the wheel and a girl the  
boy's age was on the passenger side.  
  
"Shinji," said Gendou, "how many times do I have to  
tell you? You're not to be dating the clone I made of  
your mother! That's incest!"  
  
"Will you shut off you crazy old goat!" Shouted the  
young man before his father climbed in the back seat.  
Shinji then promptly tore out of the parking lot.  
  
Keitaro stood there, gawking at the empty parking  
space where the old car had once loitered.   
  
"That's it. I quit."  
  
  
*****************  
  
  
Three days later…  
  
Keitaro was sitting on the bench next to a  
middle-aged Caucasian male, hunched over holding his  
face as if in mourning. His hair was balding. His  
cheap suit had rather large, unsightly armpit stains.  
  
"Mr. Bundy, when do we open up? It should be time by  
now."  
  
"We're been open for the last two hours," said the  
man still hunched over in misery.  
  
"But no one's come in."  
  
Bundy took a second out of his self-pity to set  
Keitaro straight. "And they won't. At least until  
some 300 lb behemoth wedges herself through the door  
with four screaming kids demanding size 7 shoes even  
though she can only wear a size 12."  
  
  
"Uh…okay, Mr. Bundy."  
  
"Al, just call me Al."  
  
"Okay Al." Keitaro stared at the clock. "So, what  
do you do while there's no customers."  
  
"This." And Al Bundy went back to his session of  
self-pity.  
  
  
*****************  
  
It's been a week since Keitaro started working with  
the gai-jin, and already Keitaro could see why Bundy  
was such a mess. It was partially his fault. He left  
his wife and delinquent children to find young  
schoolgirls and to live the life of a salary man.   
Unfortunately (or fortunately if your child's a young  
Japanese school girl), it was all a myth, and Bundy  
was alone in Japan, unable to make enough money to  
afford a flight back to America. To kill time, Keitaro  
brought his sketchpad and some pencils. It was either  
that or listen to his boss's stupid football story,  
especially the one about the four touchdowns in a  
single game.  
  
"So, are you done yet?" Al asked Keitaro.  
  
"Almost," Keitaro quickly made a few more strokes  
with his pencil across his pad and then handed it to  
Bundy.  
  
"So, what do you think?"  
  
"Kei, I told you I wanted one of those sailor girls,  
but I don't remember any of them in a straight  
jacket."  
  
"I'm sorry, Al. My heart isn't into it. I tried to  
draw you wanted it, but it seemed so fake. I decided  
to add a little realism to it and got carried away.   
But I did give you your panty shot."  
  
"I see." Al pointed at the sketch in slight  
confusion. "What's that brown thing on her panties, a  
little teddy bear face?"  
  
"Actually, it's where the girl shitted on herself."  
  
"Ugh! What is with you? I asked for a cute anime  
girl and instead you drew me my ex-wife's cousin  
Nellie. Why?"  
  
"Because it's a fantasy, that's why!" Keitaro  
shouted. "I'm sick and tired of them! All they do is  
lie to you; numbs you to your piss poor excuse of a  
life! I don't want to be lied to anymore. I'd rather  
hear the truth, no matter how bad it is!"  
  
"I can't let this happen to you." Both Al and  
Keitaro turned their heads to see Gendou Ikari walk  
into the door. "Keitaro, I must save you from a face  
worse than death."  
  
"Mr. Ikari, what are you doing here?"  
  
"I came here to pick up some shoes for my wife's  
clone. But I think I'll give you some advice."  
  
Keitaro sunk his head and signed, "Gendou, I'm not  
helping you start Third Impact."  
  
"As much as I'd like to have your help, I'll settle  
with helping you to avoid the mistake I made in my  
younger days."  
  
"What mistake?" asked Keitaro with a bewildered look  
on his face.  
  
"Look at me, Urashima. I'm a 50 years old; a 50-year  
old man who's never really lived. It's the fate  
waiting for you if you don't do something about it."  
  
"Heh. Maybe that is my fate."  
  
"Come on, Urashima, you got dreams don't you?"  
  
"I had dreams. I wanted to go to Tokyo U with the  
girl of my dreams like I promised."  
  
"I didn't ask what your girlfriend's dreams were. I  
asked about yours."  
  
"But that was my dream."  
  
"Not if you're living the life someone else wants you  
to live. That's what's making you so bitter."  
  
Keitaro thought for a minute. His whole life had  
revolved around that stupid promise. The daydreaming,  
the hours of racking his brain to study for tests he  
knew he'd never pass, the missed chance to go  
to…that…art…college…he…always…wanted…to…go… to.   
  
That was it!  
  
"An artist!" Keitaro yelled in jubilation. "I want  
to be a manga artist. I want to go to a good art  
school and become a manga artist."  
  
"Can I see some of your artwork?" asked Gendou.  
  
"Sure." Keitaro handed him his pad.   
  
"Why would want to go to an art school? Your drawing  
is fine the way it is, and the character's original  
too. Not the same old cute school girl with skirts  
two-sizes too short."  
  
"I don't know." Keitaro started pacing around the  
room. "That's a big step to make. I have to write  
and draw a manga first, then find a publisher. But I  
don't know if I can afford to quit work to create a  
manga."  
  
"What work? We spend seven hours out of eight doing  
nothing," said Bundy.  
  
"Making a manga is more than sketching in your spare  
time. I'd have to bring all of my art supplies here."  
  
"So, bring them."  
  
"You don't mind?"  
  
"So long as you drop what you're doing to help, which  
won't be often, I could care less. And I'd like to  
see you make something of yourself, even if it's a  
comic book geek."  
  
"Otaku!"  
  
"Sure, whatever."  
  
"Thank you, Mr. Bundy."  
  
"Don't mention it."  
  
"By the way," said Gendou as he tapped Bundy on the  
shoulder, "I wonder would you like to join me in a  
little side project I've been working on…"  
  
  
*****************  
  
  
It was a cloudy afternoon. The sky was a depressing  
gray mural devoid of any color, even the yellow  
luminescence of the sun. It had just stopped raining.  
The ground was still wet with puddles scattered  
across the background filling potholes and mud holes.   
One girl, still dressed in her raincoat, walked down a  
hill to the mailbox thinking how the dreary day fit  
her mood. She opened up the mailbox hoping for a  
letter she's been waiting on the past three months  
from a man whom she once idolized, then hated, and now  
missed. Why did she have to drive him away, she  
thought? It was all because of the failures; all of  
the broken promises.  
  
"Don't worry, Shinobu, I'll try harder next time."  
  
"I can't believe I'm going to be a fourth-year  
ronin."  
  
"I came so close, this time."  
  
"I'm sorry, Shinobu. Please don't be mad at me for  
being a fifth-year ronin."  
  
He really did try his best to get into Tokyo U. Yet,  
it wasn't enough for me, was it? I had to idolize him  
and put him on a pedestal and set goals too high for  
him to reach. It was obvious now why she grew to hate  
him: failure leads to disappointment, disappointment  
leads to resentment, resentments leads to anger, anger  
leads to hate, and hate leads to suffering. It's  
almost right out of that old Star Wars movie.   
  
I suppose some little green guy will pop out of the  
bushes telling me to beware the Dark Side, she thought  
morbidly. When she opened the mailbox, all she saw was  
one letter. She was disappointed that it didn't come  
from Keitaro. However, it was addressed to Keitaro.   
It was from Tokyo University Admissions Office. She  
climbed the long stairway to the Hinata Dormitory,  
intending to dispose of the letter in the garbage.   
She hated to destroy Keitaro's mail, but he'd gone  
through enough without having to find out he was  
sixth-year ronin.  
  
"Shinobu, did we get getting any mail today?" It was  
Naru. It was only 2:30 in the afternoon and on a  
Monday. She took all of her classes in the morning  
and worked five nights out of the week except on  
Sundays and Mondays at some karaoke bar.  
  
"There's nothing on the mailbox today."  
  
"Then what's that in your hand?"  
  
"It's nothing but junk mail." Shinobu put the letter  
behind her back. Naru tried to get behind her, but  
Shinobu quickly turned around keeping her back away  
from Naru.  
  
"If it's just junk mail then there's no harm in  
letting me look at it." Naru tried wrestling the  
letter out of Shinobu's hands.  
  
"Please, Naru, don't do this. Let me throw it away."  
  
Naru finally managed to get the letter out of  
Shinobu's hands. "Tokyo U sent a letter to the baka  
hentai? Hey, everyone!!!" yelled Naru. "Keitaro's  
test scores came back."  
  
Suu, Motoko, Haruka, and Kitsune came running out  
their respective rooms to the living room.  
  
"What is it, Naru?"  
  
"Keitaro failed his admissions test again."  
  
"You don't know that," protested Suu.  
  
"He's flunked five times already. You expect  
anything different this time?"  
  
Suu backed away from Naru as she opened the letter.  
  
"Are you sure you want to be opening Keitaro's  
private mail?"  
  
"Why not? He took a peek at my diary, and Shinobu  
was going to throw it away anyway." The rest of the  
girls turned to Shinobu.  
  
"Keitaro's been through enough disappointments,"  
Shinobu explained.  
  
"Dear Keitaro Urashima, congratulations on passing  
your exam. You have been admitted to Tokyo…WHAT?!!"  
  
Haruka and Kitsune looked over Naru's shoulder.   
Haruka read out loud the letter from Tokyo University.  
"According to this letter, Keitaro not only passed,  
he passed even when the scoring was stacked against  
them."  
  
"What does that mean?" asked Shinobu.  
  
"It means that Tokyo deducts points from your total  
score each time you take the test over," Suu answered.  
  
Haruka finished off Suu's explanation. "It's to keep  
students from being too familiar with the test so they  
don't learn how to take the test and pass by virtue of  
having practice taking a test instead of actually  
learning the material. Keitaro actually started off  
with -150 points on the test. And despite that, he  
passed." Suddenly, Shinobu ran off to her room and  
grabbed her suitcase and some extra clothes.   
  
"Where are you going?" Called Haruka.  
  
"Don't you see? If Keitaro finds out he's been  
admitted to Tokyo University, he'll come back and be  
the manager again. And maybe, we can finally be  
friends again.  
  
"That may be worth a shot," said Kitsune. "I'm  
game."  
  
"Me too," answered Suu.  
  
"Do you think that Urashima would mind…well…you  
know…seeing…me?" asked Motoko, oddly timid in her  
speech.  
  
"There's only one way to find out Motoko," replied  
Kitsune.  
  
"It's settled. We're going to Kyoto," announced  
Haruka. "What about you, Naru? Aren't you coming?"  
  
"I have a test tomorrow." Naru was staring off into  
space.   
  
"But this important Naru," pleaded Shinobu. "We have  
to all come so we can convince Keitaro to comeback."  
  
"Shinobu, forget about it. Let's just go without  
her," Haruka said. Shinobu couldn't stop staring at  
Naru. Why she wouldn't come? She asked herself.  
  
  
  
  
  
It was another busy day at the art studio/women's  
shoe store for Keitaro. So far, his manga Magically  
Disturbed Psycho Girl hasn't attracted any publishers.  
It was too controversial; too gory; or too dreary or  
both.  
  
Those morons must want some POS fantasy like "I'll  
Lean on You", he thought sneeringly. As he made his  
way into his apartment building, he couldn't help but  
hear familiar voices talking among themselves; the  
possibility, the horrible possibility that it could be  
them occurred to him…  
  
Oh, no. Let it be anyone but them, please.  
Unfortunately for Keitaro, it was. It was all of them  
except Naru. Thank heavens she wasn't here. But  
Keitaro still wasn't too thrilled to see the others.   
They were standing at his door waiting for him.  
  
"Keitaro?" asked Suu who spotted him coming up the  
stairs of his apartment. The others turned around  
when they heard Suu call out Keitaro's name. They  
were rather shocked to see that his appearance has  
changed quite a bit over the time he'd been gone.   
  
He was dressed in a blue shirt and brown khakis  
sporting a black tie with blue stripes. He now  
sported a full-beard and seemed to have aged several  
years in the short time he was gone. Unfortunately,  
his eyes still held the same bitterness and hatred  
they had on the day that he left the Hinata.  
  
"What the hell?" spat Keitaro?  
  
"Please, Keitaro," Shinobu begged, "just listen to  
us."  
  
"Can't you people take a hint? I left the Hinata for  
a reason and it was to get away from you people! I  
don't want to see any of…"  
  
"KEITARO!" Motoko screamed, thus putting an end to  
Keitaro's verbal tirade. "I'm sorry for yelling at  
you."  
  
"Why should you be? You did worse to me in the past,  
and an apology was the furthest thing from your mind."  
Keitaro snarled.  
  
"We just need a little of your time. We have  
something from Tokyo U for you."  
  
"Oh, I see now. You wanna see the look on my face  
when Tokyo U tells me I'm now a sixth year ronin,  
huh?"  
  
"But you didn't fail, Keitaro!" Shinobu pleaded.  
Keitaro blinked in disbelief.  
  
"Motoko, is that true?"  
  
Motoko handed Keitaro the letter. "I apologize for  
the tampering of your personal mail. Naru was the one  
who opened it."  
  
"Don't worry about it," said Keitaro. "After I took  
that peek into Naru's personal diary, I'm the last one  
to complain about invading someone's privacy."   
Keitaro carefully read over the letter. It was  
official mail from Tokyo University, and it did say  
he'd been admitted…  
  
"Keitaro, this means you can come back with us, and  
we can forget this ever happened."  
  
"And everything can go back to normal, right?"  
Keitaro asked with a sneer.  
  
"Yes, big brother," Suu replied enthusiastically.  
  
"Oh, how wonderful!"   
  
Uh oh! Kitsune and Haruka didn't like the sarcastic  
tone in Keitaro's voice.   
  
"You mean to tell me I can go back to the Hinata and  
get called 'hentai' and 'baka' and smacked around by  
Naru and Motoko and Shinobu and Kitume and Suu and  
even my Aunt Haruka?" Keitaro grabbed Shinobu in his  
mockery of joyful bliss.   
  
"And to make everything even better, I'm a Tokyo U  
student. That should make the Hinata a prestigious  
dormitory. Don't forget your old buddy Keitaro may  
even put in a good word for you and get one or two of  
you in too! Oh, I see why you made a bee line here  
when that letter came. I'm the goose laying the  
golden eggs!"  
  
"No, that's not it at all!" Shinobu cried.  
  
"Then why wait all of this time to come? Oh, that's  
right. I was a loser just a few days ago."  
  
"But we only came because we thought it was your  
dream to go to Tokyo U," Kitsune said.  
  
"I'll let you in on a little secret." Keitaro took  
the letter from Tokyo U in both hands and held it out  
in front of the girls. "I… never… wanted… to… go… to…  
Tokyo… U!" And with each word, Keitaro tore the  
letter into pieces and threw them in the air letting  
them fall like snowflakes.   
  
"I hated racking my brains to go to some stuck up ivy  
league college, not even caring what I was going there  
to study! I only tried to get in because I thought  
someone else wanted me to go. But it was all a lie."   
Keitaro fished into his pockets for his keys. "Now,  
if you excuse me, I have things to do."  
  
"Keitaro please, think about what you're doing,"  
Haruka pleaded earnestly, an unfamiliar expression on  
her face. She was scared, and guilty.  
  
  
"I already have. And I think I want you all to leave  
now. I want you all to leave and never return."  
Keitaro snorted, before shoving his way through the  
girls, storming into his apartment, and slamming the  
door behind him.  
  
  
*****************  
  
  
The trip back to the Hinata was a quiet one. All of  
the girls were in silent reflection of the friend they  
had lost. It was particularly bad because it was not  
a force of nature or some event out of their control  
like death that took him away, but their own deeds and  
misdeeds.   
  
Each one, even Motoko, played scenario after scenario  
in their heads.  
  
"If I was just a little more patient with him and his  
studies..."  
  
"If only I wasn't so rough playing with my big  
brother..."  
  
"If only I didn't jump to conclusions when he walked  
in on me while I was changing clothes..."  
  
"If only I didn't try to cheat him out of his money  
and acted as if it was cute..."  
  
Each one of them was second-guessing the last two  
years of their lives.  
  
When they walked into the Hinata, they were greeted by  
several different sour and rancid odors.  
  
The strong odors drove Haruka back outside for fresh  
air. Kitsune took a whiff and immediately had an idea  
of what was going on since she frequented enough  
karaoke bars to know when someone was piss drunk.   
"Naru? Is that you?" Kitsune felt around the walls  
for the light switch. When she turned it on, everyone  
saw Naru passed out lying in a pool of her urine and  
vomit with an empty liquor bottle in her hands.  
  
"Naru," Haruka said in a disappointed voice, "what  
did you do to yourself?" She walked over to her,  
knelt down, and shook her shoulders. She managed to  
get a lazy moan from Naru. Haruna shook her some  
more. "Wake up; we have to get you cleaned up." Naru  
picked her head up. Her face was covered in vomit and  
bits of undigested food.   
  
"Haruka," Naru said slowly.  
  
"At least she's sobered up enough to recognize you,"  
Kitsume commented.  
  
"Come on," ordered Haruna, "and help me get her in  
the hot springs." Haruka and Kitsune picked Naru up  
by the shoulders, dragging her to the women's bath.   
They stripped her and started washing off the pungent  
body fluids off her.  
  
"It's not fair." Haruka and Kitsune looked up at  
Naru, still drunk from her drinking binge. "It's not  
fair at all. Why did that hentai baka passed, and I  
didn't?"  
  
Kitsune patted Naru on the shoulder. "What are you  
talking about Naru? You're a Tokyo U student." Naru  
didn't respond. "Naru, are you listening to me?"  
  
"I deserve to get into Tokyo U just like the hentai  
baka did, only not like the way I did it," Naru  
slurred, tears beginning to pour from her eyes.  
  
Haruka stopped bathing Naru. "The way you did it?"  
  
"I flunked my admission exam. I went to the park to  
cry, when I met one of the professors at Tokyo U. He  
told me if I did him a favor, he'd fix it so I could  
get in. All I had to do is have sex with him a couple  
time, and he'd change my score."   
  
Haruka and Kitsune's mouths hung open. "That can't  
be," Kitsune protested.  
  
Naru held out her left hand. Across it was a deep  
scar. "You remember when I told you I accidentally  
cut myself on some broken glass at my job? The  
truth is, the professor's wife caught us in bed  
together, and she had a butcher knife." Naru looked  
at her hand. "Eight centimeters lower, she'd slit my  
wrist. It's all that hentai baka's fault!" Naru  
snarled, clenching her fist.  
  
  
"If I wasn't helping him get into Tokyo U, I wouldn't  
have whored myself out and got this scar. I hate him.  
I hate him! I HATE HIM AND I'LL SEE HIM IN HELL!!!"  
  
  
Oi… Well, this chapter was written by CM. If you don't  
like it, blame him. I just beta'd it for him.  
  
Anyway, we'd both appreciate it if you reviewed. So,  
until later! 


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